Illuminated sign.



H. E. WESTERBERG.

ILLUMINA'I'ED SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-.8, 1909 Patented Mar. 21, 1911.

s SEEE'ISr-SHBET 1.

11v VENTOR'.

WlTNESSEs W M H. 'E. WESTERBEBG.

ILLUMINATED SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED IBBJ}, 1909.-

Patentd Mar. 21, 1911'.

3 SHEETBSHEBT 2..

INVENTOR:

WlTNEsSESg-d v H. E. WESTERBERG.

ILLUMINATED SIGN. APPLICATION FILED was, 1909,

Patented Max:221, 1911.

3 SHBETS-$HBET 3.

WITNESSES: 11v VENTOR.

. 05 Ma g 4% ATTORNEY.

- of electric. lamps.

UNITED STATES {PATENT orrron.

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ILLUMINATED: emu,

" it I Specification of Letters Patent; Patented lyfaf, 1,

a u tenances February 8, 190.9. sefial no. Merle To aLZ-whcntitmayconccrn: I

Be it known that .I, HUGO; E. \Vns'rEn-' BERG, a subjectz of the King of 'Sweden, re-

siding at Seattle,.- in the county of King and State of Washingtomhave invented certain .-new and useful Improvements in Illuminated, Signs, speclfication. p

his invention relates. to illuminated signs wherein outlined letters or characters upon the sign board are furtherdefined by series of which the, following is i a The'object of the invention is to produce devices whereby an object having the scum blance of a human hand grasping a stylus is caused to follow, as in writing, the lines of lamps distributed throughout the various sign characters and as the stylus is in prox imity to the lamps thesame aresuccessively lighted and remain in such a state until the lamps throughout the sign are. all-lighted and then be simultaneously extinguished.

The invention consists in the'novel construction adaptation. and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter described with reference to their embodimentin the accompanying drawings.

In the. drawings, Figure 1 is an elevationalface view of an'illuminated sign together. With the scribing element. Fig. 2 is a rear viewof the sign board, with the lamp circuits. and the switches therefor omitted. Fig. 3v is an enlarged fragmentary view similar to Fig. 2 showing the disposition-of the lamp circuits and. the switch devices. Fig. 4. is a; vertical section taken through 14c of Fig. 3 but with the pointer and t-heparts connected thereto in diflerent positions relative to the sign frame. F ig. 5 is a detail perspective view of. in Figs. Sand 4.

In carryingout my invention there is employed a name of any suitable shape and is desirably constructed with a front wall 10 and aback wall 11' which. are rigidlysecured to each other to afford a space or chamber 12 therebetween. Upon the outer face of said front wall are outlined letters, such as 13, or other characters, such as the bar 14. Disposed at intervals in the letters arm 21 various parts illustrated ,pea'ran'ce of writing with a stylus.

branchcircuit wires 18 are connected with the lndlvldual lamps. The conductor wires severally connected with springs 23 which serve to normally retain the levers in their cutout positions and are also provided with armatures 24' for electro-magnets 25 which have their energizing coils included in the circuits of the respective lamps. Each of these levers is further provided with an arranged to be encountered by a controlling element to be hereinafter ex plained which successively effects the swerv .ing of the levers to cause the conductors 20 thereof to close the respective lamp circuit gaps and thus illuminate the affected lam as well as energizing the-magnets to retain thele'vers in such operative condition until the circuits are interrupted by the action" of a cut-out switch 26 whereupon-the springs 23 assert themselves. to withdraw said conductors from, the aforesaid circuit gaps.

The switch 26 com rises an arm pivotally connected to a pin 2? member 28 for closing a gap in themain line 17 and wherein it is normally held in closed condition by a spring 29 acting against the switch-arm.

*"Included in thejnvention is a pointer 30,

see. Figs. 1 and 14, which desirably consists of an efigy of a hand with a stylus and is "arranged tobe illuminated, as by a lamp 31,

within a suitably shaped casing 32 which is provided with a' transparent or-translucent face 3 2, such as glass. Such casing is providedi with, a carrier 33 extending downwardly to belowthesign frame where it ex- 'tendsto the 'rea r of the, frame and thence upwardly,'as at 34, and is provided with a hook extremity. 35 which is engaged. in a belt-support36, This support is comprised of an endless beltwhich, as best shown in Fig. 2, extendsabouta plurality of guide pulleys 37 disposed to convey the carrier so that the pointer" thereof will trace the letters or characters as depicted upon the sign, such that, when motion is given to thebelt, the path of the'pointer will assume the ap- In the ill'ustrated'example, see Fig. l, a series of or own- ALF 'ro and has a conducting 45 plete the electric circuits thereto.

letters 13 are employed with an underscore or bar 14,while in Fig. 2 the reverse view of such asign representsthe manner of leading the endless belt to cause the, pointer to 5 prescribe the sign characters. 7

The lamp 31 is electrically connected by branch wires 38 extending through the tubular members of the carrier with the main circuit wires 16 and 17 as at 89. and 40, and

to accommodate the branch wires to the movements of the lamp with the carrier such wires are desirably led about pulleys 41 and sheaves 42 which carry weights 43 for taking up the slack. Upon the carrier part 34 is a laterally projecting arm 44 which in the progressive movement of the carrier is adapted to successively encounter the-leverarms 21 for efiecting the closure of the respective circuits of the lamps l5 and also to encounter the switch 26 to break the circuits of all the lamps with the exception of 31 in the hand. One of the pulleys 37 is fixedly connected to a spindle carrying a pulley 45 for a belt-46 which is driven from a suit- 25 able motor to afi'ord motion to the endless belt 36.

.The' operation of the invention may be described .as follows: Assuming that the belt 36 is driven in the manner as above ex- 30, plained and in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2, then the carrier is conveyed along lines corresponding to the dis position of the belt to cause the pointer at .the front of the sign frame to be similarly '3 moved and thereby trace out the various sign characters. As arranged the pointer will be conveyed to indicate the successive lamps -of the various characters in sequence, that Is from'lett to right, with respect to the letters .4 13 in the example, and as the pointer designates the respective lamps throughout its course they are illuminated by reason of the arm 44 of the carrier influencing the proper movement of the levers 21 tocom- When the lamps are thus illuminated the lighting current therefor passes through the magnet coils of the respective circuits to retain the latter in closed position by the maintenance 50 of the levers 21 in operative positionsl When the lamps of the letters are thus lighted the carrier is then,conveyed by its supporting belt back to the initial letterand, in the present example, ,to have the pointer '55 traverse the bar 14 where the lampsare successivelylighted and in the before explained manner. Prior to arriving at the init1al letter the switch 26 is influenced by the carrier arm 44 to temporarily break the circuits of the sign-lamps, whereupon the'lights are extinguished and the ma nets deenergized to allow the springs 23 to break the various branch circuits so that when the switch 526, through the agency of the spring 29,1s re- 6 stored to operative position, after the passuccessively lighted durin sage of the carrier arm thereby, the sign. lamps can only be again lighted through again closing the lamp circults in the next forward travel of the carrier.

It is to be noted that the sign lamps are the advancing movement of the pointer w iereby the stylus is made to appear to be transcribing the sign letters, after the manner of writing, and

when the letters are all illuminated the signlamps are simultaneously extinguished during the retrograde travel of the pointer.

'The invention is sim le' in construction and operation and afi'or s an attractive sign having exceptional value as an advertising medium.

Having described my invention, what I claim, "is

1. In a sign of the class described, a plurality of lamps arranged to form the sign characters, the circuits for said lamps, a switch in the circuit of each lamp, means carried through the tortuous path formed actuate said switches successively to light the lamps as said carried means passes, apointer mounted on said carried means to trace said sign characters, and means actuated eventually to extinguish all the lights.

3. In a sign of the class described,'a pluan endless belt carrying said pointed in position to trace said letters, means to guide said belt through the outline of said letters, a lamp carried by the pointer for illuminating the latter, and means to impart motion to said belt.

4. In a sign-sf the class described, charactersformin'g the sign, lamps arranged to form the sign characters, the circuits for said lamps, a switch in each lamp circuit,

means for successively closing said switches for lighting said lamps and means for thererality of letters forming the sign, a pointer,

after simultaneously extinguishing all said lamps, a pointer adapted to trace out said characters as the lamps are hghted, a conveyer carrying said pointer, a lamp earned by the pointer for illuminating the same,

and a circuit for the last named lamp.

' 5. In a sign of the class described, a

pointer, a power driven belt supporting the pointer, and mounted to carry the latter through a circuitous path, a lamp, a circuit therefor, a switch for said circuit, a spring tending to keep said switch in position to have the circuit open, an electro-ma gnetin said circuit, a'narmaturd upon the switch, and means earned by said pointer and operable during the advancing movement, of v the pointer with the belt for actuating said switch so as to close said circuit against the action of the spring and thereby light the lamp and also energize said magnet whereby the switch isretained in closed condition with respect to said circuit.

6. ha sign of the class described, a plu' rality of letters forming the sign, a pointer,

a lamp carried by the pointer for il1umi nating the same, a circuit-for the lam a carrier for the said pointer, an endless elt from 'whlch said carrier is suspended, and

means to guide said endless belt so that'the pointer will trace theletters upon the si and means for actuating said belt to ren er the aforesaid pointer.

- 7 i In a sign of the class described, a lurality of lamps arranged to form sign c aracters, switches for controlling the'circuits of the individual lam s, an, endless belt arranged to continuou y follow "the contour of the sign characters, means for imparting motion to said endlessv belt a pointer mounted on said belt to trace t e front contours of said characters, means mounted on said vlampsarranged to form si tracing movement to said tive: rinagnets.

pointer to successively light said lamps as the pointeng -traces said characters, and a normall closed switch adapted to be actuated y said pointer, to simultaneously extin uish all of said lamps. I 8. a sign of the class described, the characters, switches-for controlling the circuits for the respectivelamps, a spring for" each switch forinormally maintaining the same in inopf erat ve 'condition, a normally inoperative electroimagnet in each said circuit, tortu= ously arranged meansfoverlying the contour of said chsuaeters, means carried by .said tortuous 'means for afiecting the successive switches for illuminating the respective lamps and energizing magnets for retain-j 'ingfthe circuits in closed condition, and a normallyclosed switch located at the end,

of the path of said switch aflecting means forncpntrolling all of said lamp circuits and adapted to be affected by the aforesaid means for simultaneously extinguishing all 

